Martyn Lloyd-Jones on Christ's Lordship Over Life and Death

What does Romans 14:9 teach about the purpose of Christ's death and resurrection?

According to Dr. Lloyd-Jones, Romans 14:9 teaches that "Christ both died and rose and revived, that he might be Lord both of the dead and living." This reveals that Christ's death and resurrection had the specific purpose of establishing His lordship over believers in both life and death. As Lloyd-Jones explains, "He is the Lord of the living. You are bought with a price. You are not your own. You are bought with a price. We belong to him. He's purchased us. He's ransomed us... but he's the Lord of the dead. He owes us right away through."

Why couldn't God save humanity without Christ's death and resurrection?

Lloyd-Jones addresses why Christ's death was essential for our salvation: "People have often made that point and have asked the question, why couldn't God give us salvation as a gift? By just saying so, by just doing so... Why is all this necessary, namely the incarnation and the temptations and the suffering especially, why is the death essential?" He explains that Christ "could not have delivered us from the thralldom of death unless he had died himself." His teaching alone couldn't save us from death - He had to die to defeat death itself.

How did Christ conquer death through His resurrection?

Dr. Lloyd-Jones explains that Christ conquered death by defeating it directly: "Until our Lord had died and risen again, death had held all mankind in the grave." Christ was "the first that should rise from the dead" and is called "the first begotten from the dead" and "the first fruits." Peter proclaimed in Acts 2 that "it was not possible that he should be holden of it [death]," unlike everyone else who had died. Through this victory, believers can now say, "O death, where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory?" because "death can't hold us any longer who belong to him."

How did Christ's death destroy the devil's power over death?

Lloyd-Jones explains that Hebrews 2:14-15 teaches Christ "through death... might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil." The devil doesn't control when we die (our times are in God's hands), but he has authority over death in that he introduced sin into the world, which brought death. The devil is "the lord of the whole of mankind" by nature, but Christ's death and resurrection "robbed the devil of that particular power that he has over death." For believers, "that evil one toucheth us not. He's not our Lord. He's got no authority over us."

How does Christ's victory over death free Christians from the fear of death?

According to Lloyd-Jones, Christ "has delivered us from not only the thraldom of death itself, but from the tyranny of the devil." Hebrews 2:15 says Christ came to "deliver them who, through fear of death, were all their lifetime subject to bondage." This deliverance comes because: 1) Christ has removed the sting of death (sin) and satisfied the law that condemned us, and 2) Christ "has brought life and immortality to light through his gospel." The Christian knows death is "to be with Christ, which is far better" rather than something uncertain and fearful.

In what sense is death now the servant of Christians?

One of Lloyd-Jones' most profound points is that Christians not only have been freed from death's power but actually have authority over it: "Death is yours. You owned it. Death is your servant." Citing 1 Corinthians 3:21-23, he explains, "All things are yours...whether life or death...all are yours. And you are Christ's. And Christ is God's." He quotes the Heidelberg Catechism that "Death for the Christian is not a payment for sin, but an entrance into life." Death becomes merely "the servant that now opens the door for us to go from this land of sin and woe to that land of pure delight."